Quick Guide & predictions for the New Year Day Bowls

God I love January 1 bowl games. It's just so much damn fun to watch, with or without Michigan State playing. Today's lineups are:

Gator (noon, ESPN2): Mississippi State vs Northwestern. ES picks the Purple.
Heart of Dallas Bowl (noon, ESPNU): Purdue vs Oklahoma State. ES picks the Okies.
Capital One Bowl (1 pm, ABC): Georgia vs Nebraska. ES picks UGA.
Outback (1 pm, ESPN): South Carolina vs Michigan. ES picks his place of birth in the heart of Dixie.
Rose Bowl (5 pm, ESPN): Wisconsin vs Stanford. ES picks the Trees.
Orange Bowl (8 pm, ESPN): Northern Illinois vs Florida State. ES picks the Bowdens.

And, other predictions:

Biggest blowout: Oklahoma State vs Purdue.
Best game: Northwestern vs Miss State.
Biggest potential upset: Wisky over Stanford, with Alvarez as coach he might do what Bielema couldn't.
What ES will be watching: Dallas, Gator, Rose, Outback.
Best guarantee of ES rooting for: South Carolina over Michigan.
Prediction of Big Ten in bowls: 2-5; 2 wins (MSU, Northwestern), 5 losses (Minny, Wisky, Purdon't, Corn, Maize).

Hope everyone had a great 2012 and a happy and safe new year's.

Rank: #9 .11-2 Overall, 7-2 B1G Ten PEACH BOWL CHAMPS.
Date	Opponent	Result
Sep. 3	at N'western	W, 38-21
Sep. 7	Y'GSTOWN ST.	W, 42-14
Sep. 14	at Miami (Fl.)	W, 38-17
Sep. 21	@ Nwestern	W, 31-10
Sep. 28	NEBRASKA	W, 23-20 OT
Oct. 2	W. KENTUCKY	W, 48-31
Oct. 9	at Rutgers	W, 31-13
Oct. 16	at Indiana	W, 20-15
Oct. 30	MICHIGAN	W, 37-33
Nov. 6	at Purdue	L, 29-40
Nov. 13	MARYLAND	W, 40-21
Nov. 20	at Ohio St	L, 7-56
Nov. 27	PENN ST	W, 30-27
Dec.31	Pittsburgh, Peach Bowl	W, 31-21

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Final Rank: #3. 13-1 Overall. 9-0 Big Ten. ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS
Date	Opponent	Result
Aug. 30	W MICHIGAN	W, 26-13
Sep. 7	S FLORIDA	W, 21-6
Sep. 14	YOUNGSTOWN ST	W, 55-17
Sep. 21	at #22 Notre Dame	L, 13-17
Oct. 5	at Iowa	W, 26-14
Oct. 12	INDIANA	W, 42-28
Oct. 19	PURDUE	W, 14-0
Oct. 26	at Illinois	W, 42-3
Nov. 2	#23 MICHIGAN	W, 29-6
Nov. 16	at Nebraska	W, 41-28
Nov. 23	at N'western	W, 30-6
Nov. 30	MINNESOTA	W, 14-3
Dec. 7	#2 OHIO ST. - B1G CHAMPIONSHIP	W, 34-24
Jan. 1	#5 STANFORD - ROSE BOWL	W, 24-20

Rank: #12 AP, #13 USAT, #17 BCS. 11-3 Overall. 7-1 Big Ten. OUTBACK BOWL CHAMPIONS
Date	Opponent	Result
Sep. 2	YOUNGSTN ST	W, 28-6
Sep. 10	FLA ATLANTIC	W, 44-0
Sep. 17	at Notre Dame	L, 13-31
Sep. 24	C MICHIGAN	W, 45-7
Oct. 1	at Ohio St	W, 10-7
Oct. 15	MICHIGAN	W, 28-14
Oct. 22	WISCONSIN	W, 37-31
Oct. 29	at Nebraska	L, 3-24
Nov. 5	MINNESOTA	W, 31-24
Nov. 12	at Iowa	W, 37-21
Nov. 19	INDIANA	W, 55-3
Nov. 26	at Northwestern	W, 31-17
Dec. 3	Wisconsin. B1G TEN CHAMPIONSHIP	L, 39-42
Jan. 2	Georgia. OUTBACK BOWL	W, 33-30 (3ot)

Rank: #7 AP/USA. 11-2 Overall. 7-1 Big Ten. BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
Date	Opponent	Result
Sep. 4	WESTERN MICH.	W, 38-14
Sep. 11	Fla Atlantic (at Ford Field)	W, 30-17
Sep. 18	NOTRE DAME	W, 34-31 (ot)
Sep. 25	NO. COLORADO	W, 45-7
Oct. 2	WISCONSIN	W, 34-24
Oct. 9	at Michigan	W, 34-17
Oct. 16	ILLINOIS (HC)	W, 26-6
Oct. 23	at Northwestern	W, 35-27
Oct. 30	at Iowa	L, 6-37
Nov. 6	MINNESOTA	W, 31-8
Nov. 20	PURDUE	W, 35-31
Nov. 27	at Penn State	W, 28-22
Jan. 1	vs. Alabama (Capitol One Bowl)	L, 7-49